Many traditional footwear options require the incorporation of methods to tighten or loosen footwear to secure and remove the footwear to a user's foot. Despite a plethora of standard sizes being available in the market, some smaller adjustments may be needed for an individual's foot size. Footwear that does not have enough room may cause cramping, while footwear with too much room may cause irritation from friction or unstable footing during motion. A common method of adjusting the fit of footwear is shoelaces. Shoelaces bridge the gap between two opposing sections of a shoe upper, the shoelace typically tied proximate a shoe tongue centrally disposed between each opposing shoe upper section, to retain a desired fit.
While shoelaces are common, utilizing them for the adjustment of footwear has drawbacks. Shoelaces are susceptible to fading, dirt, and wear. Also, laces are typically looped or woven back and forth across the tongue and shoe upper through a serial of eyelets, which is complicated and time-consuming. The series of eyelets typically include metal rings integrated into the upper sections, which are required to receive threaded and/or looped shoelace strings. Additionally, the shoelaces must be tied in a knot to retain the desired tension and assist in preventing the shoelaces from progressively loosening with movement. A knot must be tied in such a way that is tight enough to prevent slippage, yet loose enough to be untied without excessive effort. The excess string of the shoelaces extending from the knot can often be caught on objects while walking or come loose during normal use of the footwear.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an apparatus and method to secure footwear in such a way that it provides a selectively adjustable fastener, yet avoids the negative drawbacks of the commonly used shoelace. In particular, a securing apparatus and method that enables precise adjustment, durability, and ease of use is needed.